THE SECOND BOOK 323 



more profound ; which being by them in part omitted and 

 in part handled with much confusion, we will endeavour 

 to resume and open in a more clear manner. 



There is formed in every thing a double nature of good : 

 the one, as every thing is a total or substantive in itself; 

 the other, as it is a part or member of a greater body; 

 whereof the later is in degree the greater and the worthier, 

 because it tendeth to the conservation of a more general 

 form. Therefore we see the iron in particular sympathy 

 moveth to the loadstone; but yet if it exceed a certain 

 quantity, it forsaketh the affection to the loadstone, and 

 like a good patriot moveth to the earth, which is the region 

 and country of massy bodies ; so may we go forward, and 

 see that water and massy bodies move to the centre of the 

 earth ; but rather than to suffer a divulsion in the continu- 

 ance of nature, they will move upwards from the centre of 

 the earth, forsaking their duty to the earth in regard of 

 their duty to the world. This double nature of good, and 

 the comparative thereof, is much more engraven upon man, 

 if he degenerate not ; unto whom the conservation of duty 

 to the public ought to be much more precious than the 

 conservation of life and being : according to that memor- 

 able speech of Pompeius Magnus, when being in commission 

 of purveyance for a famine at Rome, and being dissuaded 

 with great vehemency and instance by his friends about 

 him that he should not hazard himself to sea in an extremity 

 of weather, he said only to them, Necesse est ut earn, non ut 

 vivam. But it may be truly affirmed that there was never 

 any philosophy, religion, or other discipline, which did so 

 plainly and highly exalt the good which is communicative, 

 and depress the good which is private and particular, as the 

 Holy Faith ; well declaring, that it was the same God that 

 gave the Christian law to men, who gave those laws of 

 nature to inanimate creatures that we spake of before ; for 

 we read that the elected saints of God have wished them- 

 selves anathematized and razed out of the book of life, in 

 an ecstasy of charity and infinite feeling of communion. 



This being set down and strongly planted, doth judge 

 and determine most of the controversies wherein Moral 



